Then the auctioneer squared off the accounts as sharp as he could;an' it took him all his time, what with the German and the small farmers, who took their time about it, paying in greasy notes and silver and copper, out of canvas bags, and the squatters, who were too busy chaffing and talking among themselves to pay at all.It was dark before everything was settled up, and all the lots of cattle delivered.Starlight told the auctioneer he'd see him at his office, in a deuced high and mighty kind of way, and rode off with his new friend.
All of us went back to our camp.Our work was over, but we had to settle up among ourselves and divide shares.I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the cattle all sold and gone, and nothing left at the camp but the horses and the swags.
When we got there that night it was late enough.After tea father and I and Jim had a long yarn, settling over what we should do and wondering whether we were going to get clean away with our share of the money after all.
`By George!' says Jim, `it's a big touch, and no mistake.
To think of our getting over all right, and selling out so easy, just as if they was our own cattle.Won't there be a jolly row when it's all out, and the Momberah people miss their cattle?'
(more than half 'em was theirs).`And when they muster they can't be off seein' they're some hundreds short.'
`That's what's botherin' me,' says father.`I wish Starlight hadn't been so thundering flash with it all.It'll draw more notice on us, and every one 'll be gassin' about this big sale, and all that, till people's set on to ask where the cattle come from, and what not.'
`I don't see as it makes any difference,' I said.`Somebody was bound to buy 'em, and we'd have had to give the brands and receipts just the same.
Only if we'd sold to any one that thought there was a cross look about it, we'd have had to take half money, that's all.They've fetched a rattling price, through Starlight's working the oracle with those swells, and no mistake.'
`Yes, but that ain't all of it,' says the old man, filling his pipe.
`We've got to look at what comes after.I never liked that imported bull being took.They'll rake all the colonies to get hold of him again, partic'ler as he sold for near three hundred pound.'
`We must take our share of the risk along with the money,' said Jim.
`We shall have our whack of that according to what they fetched to-day.
It'll be a short life and a merry one, though, dad, if we go on big licks like this.What'll we tackle next -- a bank or Government House?'
`Nothing at all for a good spell, if you've any sense,' growled father.
`It'll give us all we know to keep dark when this thing gets into the papers, and the police in three colonies are all in full cry like a pack of beagles.
The thing is, what'll be our best dart now?'
`I'll go back overland,' says he.`Starlight's going to take Warrigal with him, and they'll be off to the islands for a turn.
If he knows what's best for him, he'll never come back.
These other chaps say they'll separate and sell their horses when they get over to the Murray low down, and work their way up by degrees.
Which way are you boys going?'
`Jim and I to Melbourne by next steamer,' I said.`May as well see a bit of life now we're in it.We'll come back overland when we're tired of strange faces.'
`All right,' says father, `they won't know where I'm lyin' by for a bit, I'll go bail, and the sooner you clear out of Adelaide the better.
News like ours don't take long to travel, and you might be nabbed very simple.
One of ye write a line to your mother and tell her where you're off to, or she'll be frettin' herself and the gal too -- frettin' over what can't be helped.But I suppose it's the natur' o' some women.'
We done our settling-up next day.All the sale money was paid over to Starlight.He cashed the cheques and drew the lot in notes and gold --such a bundle of 'em there was.He brought them out to us at the camp, and then we `whacked' the lot.There were eight of us that had to share and share alike.How much do you think we had to divide?
Why, not a penny under four thousand pounds.It had to be divided among the eight of us.That came to five hundred a man.A lot of money to carry about, that was the worst of it.
Next day there was a regular split and squander.We didn't wait long after daylight, you bet.Father was off and well on his way before the stars were out of the sky.He took Warrigal's horse, Bilbah, back with him; he and Starlight was going off to the islands together, and couldn't take horses with them.But he was real sorry to part with the cross-grained varmint; I thought he was going to blubber when he saw father leading him off.Bilbah wouldn't go neither at first;pulled back, and snorted and went on as if he'd never seen only one man afore in his life.Father got vexed at last and makes a sign to old Crib;he fetches him such a `heeler' as gave him something else to think of for a few miles.He didn't hang back much after that.
The three other chaps went their own road.They kept very dark all through.
I know their names well enough, but there's no use in bringing them up now.
Jim and I cuts off into the town, thinking we was due for a little fun.
We'd never been in a big town before, and it was something new to us.
Adelaide ain't as grand quite as Melbourne or Sydney, but there's something quiet and homelike about it to my thinking -- great wide streets, planted with trees; lots of steady-going German farmers, with their vineyards and orchards and droll little waggons.The women work as hard as the men, harder perhaps, and get brown and scorched up in no time -- not that they've got much good looks to lose;leastways none we ever saw.
